Prolotherapy Injections Brisbane | The Back Pain Doctor Brisbane

Prolotherapy is an injection treatment in which a glucose-based solution is injected into or around painful ligaments, tendons and joints, with the aim of stimulating a local healing response and reducing pain.

What it can help with

Knee osteoarthritis
Chronic ligament & tendon pain
Neck & lower back pain
Shoulder pain
Sacroiliac & pelvic pain

Suitability depends on your individual diagnosis and is assessed at consultation.

Prolotherapy is an injection treatment used for some chronic ligament, tendon and joint pain. It involves injecting a concentrated glucose (dextrose) solution, often with a local anaesthetic, into or around the affected structures. The proposed mechanism is that the solution triggers a short-lived local inflammatory response, which may promote tissue repair and reduce pain over a course of treatment. The precise way prolotherapy works is not fully established.

Treatment is given as a series of injections, typically spaced a few weeks apart, targeting tender areas on joints and ligaments. After an injection it is common to feel temporary numbness from the local anaesthetic, followed by a short period of increased local tenderness as part of the expected response. Any improvement tends to develop gradually over the course of treatment rather than immediately.

The evidence for prolotherapy varies by condition. There is some supportive randomised-trial evidence for dextrose prolotherapy in knee osteoarthritis and in certain tendinopathies, while for other indications the evidence is more limited or mixed. Prolotherapy is not suitable for everyone and is not a guaranteed cure. Whether it is appropriate for you depends on your diagnosis, your previous treatment and your goals, and is discussed with you at consultation along with the expected benefits, the evidence, the costs and the alternatives.

What the evidence shows

The evidence for prolotherapy is strongest for knee osteoarthritis, where several randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews report improvements in pain, stiffness and function — including benefit over saline injection and exercise on validated osteoarthritis scores (WOMAC) — with a good safety profile. There is also supportive trial evidence for dextrose prolotherapy in certain tendinopathies. For other indications the evidence is more limited or mixed, and some studies carry a risk of bias. Prolotherapy is a reasonable option to consider, particularly in knee osteoarthritis and where first-line measures have not helped enough, but it is not a guaranteed cure and suitability is assessed individually.

Sources: Hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy in osteoarthritis — mechanisms & efficacy review (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2025) , Intra-articular hypertonic dextrose for knee osteoarthritis — randomised controlled trial (2020)

Frequently asked questions

How many treatments are involved?

Prolotherapy is given as a series of injections spaced a few weeks apart. The number varies with the condition and your response, and is discussed at consultation.

Will it be sore afterwards?

A short period of increased local tenderness after each injection is part of the expected response. This usually settles within a few days.

Is it covered by Medicare or private health?

Prolotherapy is generally an out-of-pocket cost and not covered by Medicare for these indications. We will confirm current costs before you proceed.

How is prolotherapy different from cortisone?

They work differently. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory that can give shorter-term relief, while prolotherapy aims to stimulate a local healing response over a course of treatment. We can discuss which, if either, suits your situation.

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